Reggie’ll Try It: Tornado Potato

In another installment of Reggie’ll Try It!, I’ll be laying my life on the line once again for you, the Stampede blog reader, so you don’t have to (I know; I’m so considerate!). Today, I’ll be reviewing the Tornado Potato, one of the many new food items being offered this Stampede.

Available on the midway, the Tornado Potato is essentially a spiral cut potato-on-a-stick that is deep fried. A very simple dish. You can then top it off with salt, ketchup, or whatever toppings and condiments that you usually put on french fries. Of course, I’m of the sort of person that believes that sauces and such hide the natural flavour of foods, and as a professional midway connoisseur, I chose to enjoy my Tornado Potato the same way I enjoy getting my news: plain and unfiltered.

Because it appeared that the potato was thinly sliced before deep frying, I was expecting a texture similar to a potato chip, one that was both crisp and crunchy. However, it turned out to be more like a pan-fried potato and the texture was very similar to that of a french fry: somewhat crisp on the outside but soft and fleshy on the inside. As such, my initial expectations may have tainted my enjoyment of the food.

In hindsight, it could also have used some salt.

That said, this is a very fun dish to eat. The potato is cut into one continuous spiral, so you can start nibbling on the top of the stick as you work your way down to the end, and you don’t have to worry too much about the potato structure separating itself and falling off the stick.

The only thing you’re going to have to watch out for is to avoid poking yourself or others with the stick as you eat it and walk around the grounds, as the stick is very long and it’s very easy to absentmindedly do so while you’re concentrating on eating it.

Verdict: Three and a half flapjacks out of five (with some salt, bump up that score by an extra 0.5).

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the Tornado Potato this year? Leave a comment below and let me know!